It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Drummer Panozzo, working with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck, on bass, and Dennis DeYoung on vocals and keyboards, became a rising and influential presence in American rock music, starting in their hometown of Chicago, then moving throughout the Midwest. 'active' : ''"> You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Most liked. Some kids seem to know, really know, from an incredibly young age just what they want to be when they grow up. Please The most insightful comments on all subjects In 1971, they came to the attention of the American entrepreneur Bill Traut, who sign-ed them to his Wooden Nickel label and renamed them Styx after the Greek name for the mythological river of the dead. Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck (born 90 minutes apart). John and his twin brother Chuck Panozzo were born in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. try again, the name must be unique, Please However, "Babe" still turns up on many an oldie or AOR station. Independent Premium. Sharing the full story, not just the headlines. At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle in which John took an interest in drums and percussion. At the end of that year, the De Young ballad "Babe" became an American no 1 and a million-seller. In 1990, the other four Styx members recruited Glen Burtnik to replace Shaw and hit the comeback trail with their Edge of the Century album. Newest first, -1) ? While Britpop, grunge, teenpop and trip-hop now rule the airwaves of Radio One, it's easy to forget that, up to a couple of years ago, the nation's no 1 station would regularly feature adult-oriented rock and power ballads on its playlist. A successful tour followed the next year. John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx. continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? John Panozzo, a co-founder and drummer of the rock group Styx, was found dead of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage in his home here on Tuesday, the … In 1975, "Lady", a ballad culled from their second album, started to pick up nationwide airplay and eventually became a Top Ten US hit three years after its original release. Guidelines. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post try again, the name must be unique, Please Please Panozzo eventually passed in the summer of 1996, after a battle with cirrhosis of the liver. Years of excessive drinking began to take a toll on his liver. 'active' : ''"> try again, the name must be unique, Please Respectively on drums and bass, the precocious pair started playing with their neighbour Dennis De Young on keyboards and vocals in 1964. They played local gigs at bars and began gaining popularity as a garage band on the city's South Side. Most liked, -1) ? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The work paid off. real-world solutions, and more. The band dedicated their 1996 Return to Paradise tour to him, and Tommy Shaw, who had earlier replaced Curulewski, wrote the song "Dear John" as the band's final tribute to their drummer and friend. Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? “That was a terribly sad tragedy,” Young says. try again, the name must be unique, Show{{#moreThan3_total}} {{value_total}} {{/moreThan3_total}} comments, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. He spent five years perfecting his craft with only a practice pad. He also had suffered from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of chronic alcoholism. However, John Panozzo, who suffered from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of chronic alcoholism, had recently been replaced by Todd Sucherman on drums. Out on a Day Pass (James Young solo album), https://articles.latimes.com/1996-07-18/news/mn-25369_1_john-panozzo, One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Panozzo&oldid=964796082, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 June 2020, at 16:55. Styx was a band that could fill an arena to overflowing with fans. Panozzo used Premier drums during the band's early years then switched to Tama drums by late 1978. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? In the words of a track from their 1978 Pieces of Eight album, John Panozzo is now "Rockin' the Paradise". will be published daily in dedicated articles. 'active' : ''"> Start your Independent Premium subscription today. De Young and Shaw both launched solo careers, the latter eventually joining veteran gonzo- rocker Ted Nugent in the Damn Yankees supergroup. In the mid-1990s, as Styx was about to embark on its first tour with the classic line-up since 1983, John fell seriously ill and began battling cirrhosis of the liver, eventually dying of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging and cirrhosis in Chicago; he was 47 years old. In the mid-1990s, as Styx was about to embark on its first tour with the classic line-up since 1983, John fell seriously ill and began battling cirrhosis of the liver, eventually dying of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging and cirrhosis in Chicago; he was 47 years old.[3][4][5][6]. According to his obituary in the New York Times, he was just 46 years old. He also had suffered from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of chronic alcoholism. The band began to break up in 1983, but reunited in 1990 with release of "Edge of Country." The unfortunate truth was that Panozzo, like many rockers, had been struggling with alcohol abuse for years, and it finally caught up with him. However, after the obligatory double live album Caught in the Act, the now feuding components of Styx took an exten-ded break. As such, they have forever been lumped together with acts like Asia, Boston, Foreigner, Journey, Kansas, Reo Speedwagon and Toto whose songs dominated American radio and the Simon Bates Our Tune and Golden Hour slots 15 years ago. However, John Panozzo, who suffered from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of chronic alcoholism, had recently been replaced by Todd Sucherman on drums. Having also conquered Canada, Styx could at last turn their attention to overseas territories. Then, in 1961, John, Chuck, and their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung, formed a band called The Tradewinds in which John played drums, Chuck played guitar, and Dennis played the accordion and sang. In 1988, Panozzo played drums on two tracks for guitarist/vocalist James Young's solo album "Out on a Day Pass." Enter your email to follow new comments on this article. He played in the band from 1972 to until their break up in 1984, then from their reunion in 1990 until he died from cirrhosis of the liver in 1996. In 1979, following hit singles such as "Lorelei", "Mademoiselle", "Come Sail Away" and "Renegade", a US survey by Gallup revealed the scary fact that, while punk and new wave were ruling the UK, Styx was the most popular rock band with American teenagers. 'active' : ''"> On July 16, 1996, Panozzo was found dead in his Chicago home, victim of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. In 1968, Chuck switched to bass and they added guitarists/vocalists James "J.Y." Twenty years ago, you could still break America through sheer determination and constant touring and Styx undoubtedly became one of the prototypes and inspirations for the parodic Rob Reiner movie Spinal Tap with their elaborate shows based around concept albums like The Grand Illusion, Cornerstone and Paradise Theater (all platinum records). [2], Years of excessive drinking began to take a toll on his liver. Are you sure you want to submit this vote? Log in to update your newsletter preferences, Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email. All rights reserved. They would play weddings at age 12 and were paid $15 apiece. They attended Catholic school and eventually they were part of a three-piece band in which John played drums and Chuck played guitar. Create a commenting name to join the debate. As a founding member, Panozzo continued to play throughout Styx's years of remarkable success. Something other than, say, a cowboy, or an astronaut, or a ballerina. He was just 47. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. By the time he was 12 he had joined the musicians union. No hype, just the advice and analysis you need, Register with your social account or click here to log in. “It was our reunion tour; we hadn’t worked together in 13 years with Tommy (Shaw), Dennis (DeYoung) and myself. It's tough to build up. The following year, on a wave of patriotism fuelled by the Gulf War, their "Show Me the Way" single (not the Peter Frampton song of the same title) became an anthem and a US Top 10 hit. The early Seventies were heady days for the neoclassical music of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but at first Styx struggled to get recognition outside their native Illinois. Oldest first, -1) ? Styx hit the very big time in 1975 with the release of their single "Lady" and four consecutive triple-platinum albums — "platinum" indicating sales of 1 million copies. That's the easiest thing to do — to tear down.